Garment bagging machine



Feb. 20, 1951 v ALLEN 2,542,449

GARMET BAGGING MACHINE Filed Feb. 14, 1949 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VEN TOR. Eon/pen B. flue/v BY Maw,-

flrranrvera L. B. ALLEN GARMET BAGGING MACHINE Feb. 20, 1951 Filed Feb. 14, 1949 Q2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Le'mvaen B,

HLLEN ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to garment baggers and has more particular reference to baggers of the type used in cleaning establishments and stores for placing bags on garments for protecting them from dust, dirt, and so forth.

One object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved bagging machine for hoisting a bag and lowering it over a garment on a hanger suspended below the bag.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bagging machine, as above characterized, which will permit the free use of the operators hands while bagging the garments.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bagging machine adapted to easily and quickly handle bags of various lengths.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a bagging machine, as above characterized, which is simple and economical in construction, rugged, and efiicient in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear in the following specification when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away, of a preferred form of a garment bagging machine constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a. front elevational view of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational viewshowing the details of the hoisting mechanism; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing the details of the hoisting mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side section view showing the details of the counterweight mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side section view showing details of the pulley'system;

Fig. '7 is a side elevational view showing the details of the starting mechanism; and

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of the electric circuit for controlling the operation of the hoisting motor.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a garment bagging machine constructed in accordance with the present invention and comprising a portable rectangular platform ID on which is mounted a supporting and hoisting assembly, indicated generally at H, a counterweight assembly indicated generally at l2, the hoisting mechanism, indicated generally as comprising anupright hollow standard l5, preferably a section of pipe, and having a flat base l6 secured to the platform Ill, as by bolting; an outwardly curved section of hollow pipe secured to the upper end of the standard I5, as by a coupling 58; a straight section of hollow pipe or standard is suspended from the outer end of the pipe section l! and secured thereto,

as by a coupling 2%], and extending downwardly therefrom in a plane spaced from and paral el to the plane of the standard l5; and a collar 2| slidably mounted on the standard l9 and carrying a hook 22 and a pair of opposed counterweights 23 mounted on the collar by means of a bracket 24.

The hollow pipe section or standard i9 is provided with an elongated vertical slot 25 in which is received a pin 26 projecting from the collar into the hollow interior of the pipe to guide the collar as it moves up and down on the pipe and prevent it from rotating. A cap member 21 carrying a depending hook 28 is threaded onto the bottom end of the pipe IS.

The hoisting mechanism is mounted on a platform 29 supported in an elevated position on the platform ID, as by support members 30, and comprises a spaced pair of winding drums 3|, 32

j keyed on a shaft 33 which is journalled in horizontally spaced supports 34 mounted on the platat l3, and the control mechanism for controlling the operation of the hoisting mechanism, in-' form 29; a brake drum 35 keyed on the shaft 33 and positioned between the winding drums; and a motor 36 for driving the shaft 33, as by means of meshing gears 31, 33 keyed' on the motor shaft and the shaft 33, respectively. Cooperating with the brake drum 35 is a brake band 39 having one end pivotally connected to a bracket 40mounted on the platform 29. The other end of the brake band is connected to the upper end of a vertical rod 4| extending through an opening in the platform 23. A compression coiled spring 42 is loosey mounted on the upper end portion of the rod 4|, between a washer positioned on the rod 4| below the brake band connection and a boss member 43 mounted on the rod and secured to the upper surface of the platform 29; The spring 42 serves to support the rod 4| and with it the brake band 39, with the latter in its off position, i. e., out of engagement with the brake drum.

An outwardly projecting bracket member 4 is mounted on the lower end of the rod 4| and carries a depending hook 45 intermediate its ends which engages a coiled spring 46 attached to the platform H). The coiled spring 46 serves to return the rod 4| to its normal position after counterweight 5| slidably mounted within the housing for up and down movement therein.

A cut-on switch 52 is mounted "within the."

housing 48 on a side wall thereof and adjacent.

to the top of the housing, and includes'an' inwardly projecting roller 53 adapted tobeengaged by a cam member 54' secured to one side of the counterweight 5| when the counterweight reaches a predetermined height in its upward travel.

to engage and cushion the'counterweight at the upper limit of its upward-travel." The spring 55 is supported by a bracket 5'! mounted on the top of the housing.

A hoisting cable 58 has one of'its'ends secured to the counterweight 5| and extends upwardly through the housing 48, through thecoiled spring 55, around a sheave 59 mounted ontop ofthe housing, downwardly over sheaves-60", Bl mounted on the outer side wall'of the housing in vertical" spaced relation, and'from sheave 61 to the winding drum 3!, to which itsother end is secured. The cable 58 is wound in a clockwise direction I on the drum 3 I, 'as viewed in Fig. 1.

A second hoisting cable62 hasone of its ends secured to the pin26 carried by the collar 2i and extends upwardly through the pipe section l9, downwardly through the pipe-sections l1 and I5, around a sheave 63' mounte'din the-lower. portion of pipe section and out'th'rough' an opening 64 formedin the-pipe,- to the winding drum 32 to which its 'otherend is secured: The

cable 62 is also wound in 'a clockwisemdirectionon the drum 32,"as viewedi'n Figf 1. Due to the two cables 58 and 62 being wound on th'eir're spective drums in the same-direction,bothcables are payed on and taken up simultaneously; The

length of the cables, the height of the cut-off limit switch 52' above the counterweight 5|; and the length of the slot in the standard 19 are such that when the counterweight isresting on the bottom of its housing, or is'held suspended a short distance above the bottom of the housing; if desired, the pin '26 carried by-tlre-colla'r 2iwill be resting at the bottorn'ef the slot 25in the standard i9, and when the counterweight has been hoisted to a height sufficient for the cam' member 5 carried by the counterweight to operatethe cut-01f switch 52, the-collar 2| with its' pin 26 will be raised to a 'pointjust below'th'e top of the slot 25 in thestan'dard l9.

The mechanism for controlling the" hoisting" mechanism is'm'ounted on the platform H!- and comprises a motor"controlling 'lever 65 and a brake controlling lever 66.

The motor controlling lever 65 is pivotally" mounted intermediate itsends' between spaced bracket supports 6'! attached to the platform 10. The outer end of the lever E5'maybe-provided with a foot tread 58. The inner end of the lever 65 is connected to the upper end of a coiled spring 69 which has its lower endattached to the platform I B; The spring'69- normally holds "the inner-- A cushioning coiled spring projects through an opening 56 in the top of the housing end portion of the lever 65 downwardly against the push button 10 of a push button switch H mounted on the platform H], to normally hold the switch in open position (see Fig. 7). The switch H is in the motor circuit so that with the lever 65 in its normal position, the power to the motor is off. To start the motor and keep it running it is necessary that the operator of the bagging machine place his foot on the food tread 68 and press'the outer end of the lever 65 downwardly, thereby raising the inner end of the lever and permitting the switch 7| to close the circuit to the motor. The circuit to the motor will remain closed throughswitch Ti all the time the outer end of lever 65is held down.

In order to prevent the counterweight 5! from being pulled up too far in the housing (in the event the operator fails to take his foot off the 1ever"65' to stop the motor) the limit switch 52 is normally held closed' and is opened by the engagement of the cam member 55 with the roller 53Wvhen the counterweight 5i reaches a predetermined height in its upward travel.

The wiring circuit for controlling the motor, including the switches 52 and l i, is schematically shown in Fig. 8. It should be noted that the switch 52 is normally held closed while the switch bracket member 12 mounted on the platform ID.

The bracket member 12 is preferably made of resilient strip metal and acts as a spring fulcrum for the lever 65. The outer end of the lever 66 may be provided with a foot tread. Theiinner end of the lever (SS extends under thebracket member M on the lower endofth'e rod ll; in position to engage the" bracket and raise the rod M when the outer endof the lever'fifi' is pressed downwardlybv the bagging machine operator. This actio'rrwill result in'the brake band being applied to the brake drum to brake the shaft 33 and prevent its rotation.

In order to hold the inner end of'the lever 66in its normal inoperative position, with the inner end in engagement with the bracket member 44, and to return it to the normal position after the outer end of the lever 66 has been pressed down to apply the brake, a vertical rod 13 having its bottom end attached to the platform IOQextends upwardly through'a narrow,

elongated slot Hi-formed in the lever 56 adjacent to its inner end. A coiled spring leis loosely assembly mounted on the end of therod above.

the spring;

The end of the pipe section 19 terminates a suflicient distance above the platform lilto position the hooks'22 and 28 where they are readily accessible to the operator;

In theoperation of the bag ing machinathe operator hooks a bag of 'sufficient length to enca'se the garment to bebagged on the hook 22 with the bottom endof1thestandard l9 project ing into the bag' through .the usualv opening in the top thereof. The operator :then steps onth'e' motor control lever 65, starting the motor, which hoists the collar with the bag attached to the hook, to a height sufficient to clear the garment hanger hook= 28. Asiso'on as; the vbagv has been hoisted to the required height, the operator removes his foot from the control lever 65, which action stops the motor, and steps on the brake control lever 66 to hold the bag in its hoisted position. The operator then places the hanger with the garment thereof on the hook 28 at the bottom of the standard 19. Then, by means of the brake control lever, the operator permits the bag to be lowered over the hanger and the garment thereon. The operator is in full control of the downward movement of the bag, and, having both hands free, can guide it over the hanger and garment on the hook 28.

The gravity pull of the counterweight 5!, which was hoisted simultaneously with the collar 2|, turns the shaft 33 to pay off the cable 62 to permit the gravity pull of the counterweight 23 carried by the collar 2! to lower the collar with the attached bag.

The hangers holding the garments to be bagged, as well as a, supply of various sized bags, may be mounted on racks conveniently located on the platform Ill, although not shown in the drawings. The platform IE! being portable, may be moved to any desired location in the shop accessible to a power plug-in socket for the motor.

From the foregoing, it readily will be seen that there has been provided a bagging machine which is simple and rugged in construction, efficient in operation, one which leaves the operator the free use of both hands, and one which permits the operator absolute control of the hoisting and lowering of the bag.

Obviously, the invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described. Moreover, it is not indispensable that all of the features of the invention be used conjointly, since they may be employed advantageously in various combinations and sub-combinations.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A garment bagging machine comprising a suspended standard having a hook at its lower end for holding a garment on a hanger; a bag carrier slidably mounted on said standard for up and down movement thereon; a Winding drum having a cable connected to said carrier; electrical power means for rotating said drum in one direction to hoist said carrier on said standard; gravity means for rotating said drum in the opposite direction to lower said carrier on said standard; and control mechanism for controlling the operation of said hoisting and lowering means, said control mechanism including a switch for opening and closing the electrical circuit to said power means whereby the bag carrier may be stopped at any point in its upward movement on said standard, and braking mechanism for controlling the rotation of said drum by gravity pull whereby said bag carrier may be held stationary on said standard when said power means are out off and the downward travel of said bag carrier by gravity pull may be controlled.

2. A garment bagging machine, as set forth in claim 1, including a rotatable shaft on which said winding drum is fixedly mounted and wherein said power means includes a motor and gears for rotating said shaft in a direction to hoist sa1d carrier, and wherein said gravity means includes a counterweight mounted for up and down movement in a vertical path, a second winding drum fixedly mounted on said shaft and having a cable connected to said counterweight, said cables being connected to said winding drums so that said counterweight and said bag carrier will be simultaneously hoisted and lowered.

3. A garment bagging machine comprising a suspended standard having a hook at its lower end for holding a garment on a hanger; a bag carrier slidably mounted on said standard for up and down movement thereon; a counterweight mounted for up and down movement in a vertical path; a rotatable shaft having a pair of winding drums keyed thereon; a pair of hoisting cables, each having one of its ends attached to one of said drums with the other ends attached to said carrier and said counterweight respectively, the construction being such that, when said shaft is rotated in one direction, said counterweight and said carrier will be simultaneously hoisted and when said shaft is rotated in the opposite direction said counterweight and said carrier will be lowered; power means, including a motor and gears for rotating said shaft in a direction to hoist said carrier and said counterweight; brake mechanism for controlling the rotation of said shaft in the opposite direction by the gravity pull of said counterweight; and separate control mechanisms for controlling the operation of said power means and said brake mechanism.

4. A garment bagging machine, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said standard is provided with an elongated longitudinal slot and wherein said bag carrier comprises a collar slidably mounted on the standard and carrying a pin projecting into said slot. I

5. A garment bagging machine, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said motor is an electric motor and wherein the control means for said motor comprise a, switch in the power circuit to the motor and a foot operated lever to open and close said switch and wherein a cut-off switch is placed in the power circuit to said motor and positioned to be operated by said counterweight after it has been raised to a predetermined height.

6. A garment bagging machine, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said separate control mechanisms each include a lever adapted to be moved in one direction by the machine operators foot and in the opposite direction by resilient means, thereby leaving both of the operators hands free.

LEONORA B. ALLEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,821,672 Seidler Sept. 1, 1931 2,226,173 McCarty Dec. 24, 1940 2,439,148 Shields Apr. 6, 1948 

